"Verse 15. “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.” From this text we may draw two conclusions:
1. The image of the beast is to be made in the same territory where the two-horned beast rules; for the two-horned beast can exercise that authority in no territory but its own.
2. That it already has it in its “power to give life to the image of the beast,” or cause the decree to be made and executed. Is it not in the power of the United States to pass such laws? They declare by their constitution, “all men shall be protected in worshiping God according to the dictates of their own consciences.” We see the mass hold the first day of the week as a holy day.
Were the United States as a body to pass a law that Sunday should be kept holy, or not profaned by labor, there would be, I conceive, an image to Papacy; for the law would then be in the hand of the church, and she could inflict penalties on those who did not obey the Sunday institution.
Matters are moving here similar to the way they moved in the formation of the Papal beast. In A. D., 321, laws were passed prohibiting labor in cities and towns; but in 538, when the Pope was made supreme head of all the churches, this law was made universal. We claim that then commenced the union of church and State."
J.N. Loughborough
1. The image of the beast is to be made in the same territory where the two-horned beast rules; for the two-horned beast can exercise that authority in no territory but its own.
2. That it already has it in its “power to give life to the image of the beast,” or cause the decree to be made and executed. Is it not in the power of the United States to pass such laws? They declare by their constitution, “all men shall be protected in worshiping God according to the dictates of their own consciences.” We see the mass hold the first day of the week as a holy day.
Were the United States as a body to pass a law that Sunday should be kept holy, or not profaned by labor, there would be, I conceive, an image to Papacy; for the law would then be in the hand of the church, and she could inflict penalties on those who did not obey the Sunday institution.
Matters are moving here similar to the way they moved in the formation of the Papal beast. In A. D., 321, laws were passed prohibiting labor in cities and towns; but in 538, when the Pope was made supreme head of all the churches, this law was made universal. We claim that then commenced the union of church and State."
J.N. Loughborough